What If Bunny's NOT a Bully?

February 1, 2020
A pointed invitation to consider the notion that people deserve second chances. Led by an elephant who could stand in for the sizable and undisguised agenda as well as a child in Battuz's cast of clothed young animals, everyone on the playground ostracizes the flop-eared supposed offender: "There's Bunny! There's the bully! / She looks extra mean today. / Stick together, everyone. / Make sure she stays away." A little kitten is curious about how bullies happen ("Did she pass a bully test / at a Be a Bully School?") or what Bunny actually did to earn her reputation. Receiving no answers, Kitty frets about coming down with "The Bullies," like a contagious disease that would result in being similarly shunned for life. Kitty's fears make other animals protest that they'd never do that to one of their own because it would be mean--which causes the penny to drop (in a pregnant wordless spread) and opens the door for a general apology from Bunny that leads to a reconciliation. " 'I think friends can / make mistakes... / every now and then.' / 'Want to see what happens... / if we all just try again?' " As Bunny never looks or acts the bully, she's the one who comes off as the victim here...a reversal that real-life victims may find implausible. Flimsy and message driven. (Picture book. 6-9)

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 10, 2020

PreS-Gr 2-Gerti the Elephant and a group of her school friends gather in the schoolyard and watch as Bunny approaches. Elephant tells the others to stay away from Bunny since she is a bully. While Elephant is insistent that Bunny is a bully, Kitty starts to question how one even comes to be called a bully. She asks: Is it something you can catch like a cold? Was Bunny born that way? Kitty's series of questions provide the catalyst for the group to consider that everyone makes mistakes, and when someone else becomes excluded, they become the bully. The story is an important lesson in forgiveness and recognizing when the role of bully has been reversed. Button's story adeptly captures the nuances of schoolyard politics. Battuz's illustrations are bright, colorful, and charming. Though Button tells the story in simple rhymes, the text offer an opportunity for deep reflection in a way that is accessible to children. VERDICT A playful approach to a serious topic, this is a great choice for young readers to explore what it means to be a bully and the reflect on the power of forgiveness.-Kaitlin Malixi, Kensington Health Sciences Academy, Philadelphia

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2020
Preschool-G In this story about bullying, it's the bully who gets bullied. At a school playground, an elephant proclaims to his animal playmates that Bunny is a bully and that they shouldn't play with her. Bunny, who appears adorable and innocent, plays by herself, looking forlorn. Meanwhile, Kitty questions why Bunny is a bully. What did she do? Was she stung by a bullybug? Will she be a bully when she's old? In the end, Bunny comes over, says she's sorry, and asks if she can play, and the animals decide to give her another chance. While young readers might not learn much from the story about what bullying actually is?indeed, it's not made clear what Bunny did to gain the ire of her peers in the first place?the message of giving friends a second chance is well expressed, and teachers will find a useful opportunity in identifying for children who the real victim of bullying is in this story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)